Truth Project - Wilomedia.com

The First Academy:
FROM
THE
HEADMASTER
A Vision Meant to Last a Lifetime
W
elcome to this issue of First
Impressions. In these pages we
celebrate the twentieth anniversary
of e First Academy. Two decades of
students, families, faculty, and leadership
have walked our halls and made a mark
upon the history of this fine school.
of his beloved church home, First Baptist
Church of Orlando. Ultimately, he found
a receptive heart and a like-minded
visionary in a dynamic pastor and friend,
Dr. Jim Henry.
In the mid-1980s, Jim Henry was
taking First Orlando to places it had never
been—literally. e church was making a
It has been said,
move from its downtown Orlando home
to a sprawling tract of land in south
If your vision is for a year, plant wheat.
Orlando. His friend and longtime church
If your vision is for ten years, plant trees.
member, Tom Gurney, issued a promise—
If your vision is for a lifetime, plant people. if there was ever an opportunity to bring a
school into the family of FBC/O ministries,
e men on whose shoulders we now he would help make it happen. Dr. Henry
stand had a vision not just for a lifetime— saw that opportunity, called upon Mr.
but for eternity as well.
Gurney to help, and is forever written into
omas Gurney, Sr. was the first to see the history of our school. He was—and
the vision. He was a successful Orlando is—a courageous leader who followed the
attorney with deep roots in Central Florida. call of God, believed in his dreams and the
He was a powerful influencer holding fast dreams of others, and brought to reality
to a vision that spanned decades: to see the school that is e First Academy.
Christian schooling wedded to the mission
Dr. Henry and others at FBC/O were
charged with finding the person to
head this noble effort. e Lord sent
Fred Chase, e
First Academy’s
first headmaster.
Mr. Chase was, by
necessity and by
desire, involved in
nearly every aspect
of the young school.
He unloaded trucks
LtoR: Dr. Jim Henry, Fred Chase (Headmaster, 1987-1990),
in the days before
Ed Gamble (Headmaster, 1991-2002) and Dr. Steve
Whitaker at the Founders Day Chapel in 2007..
the doors opened
2
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
and he guided, mentored, taught, and led
the new faculty. Above all, Fred Chase
established the school with an unwavering
commitment to excellence. I believe it
may have been the first private school in
Orlando to have SACS accreditation
within the first year of operation—a feat
of nearly unheard-of proportions.
Fred Chase turned over the reins of
e First Academy to Mr. Ed Gamble in
1991. Ed brought with him a profound
belief in the power and necessity of
Christian education. Each of his three
children graduated from the school,
and he tirelessly pursued programs of
excellence throughout the campus. He
provided a robust vision that elevated the
TFA to a level of national prominence
among Christian schools. Before he
moved on to the challenge of promoting
Christian education to a worldwide
audience, he helped take The First
Academy to a level that others would
aspire to attain.
I think that we can forget the hard
work and sacrifice that went into building
something worthwhile—whether it is a
business, a marriage, or a school—to
where it is when we find it. In this, our
twentieth year, e First Academy tips its
hat to these fine men who sought and
heard the will of God, had the courage
and perseverance to act upon it, and
were gifted with a vision meant to last
a lifetime.
T H E
M A G A Z I N E
O F
T H E
F I R S T
A C A D E M Y
Winter 2008 • Volume III, Issue 1
Headmaster
Dr. Steve D. Whitaker
Assistant Headmaster/
Director of Institutional Advancement
Brian Rose
Lower School Principal
Amber Lail
CONTENTS
Middle School Principal
Carol Grosshans
Upper School Principal
Rob Hensley
Home School Principal
Dr. Bonnie Ward
Athletic Director
F
Darrell Don
Editorial Information
First Impressions
Wanda Lyon, Editor
2667 Bruton Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32805
tfapublications@thefirstacademy.org
407.206.8602
407.206.8643
407.206.8601
407.206.8610
407.206.8620
407.206.8630
407.206.8600
A T
U
R
E
S
4
Then & Now: The First Academy Looks at 20
A look back at the first twenty years of TFA history, including an opportunity to
compare how some of today’s familiar faces and places looked in the early days.
8
TFA Moments
Bubbles, fanciful creatures, a Salute to America’s Armed Forces, and a film crew
rolls tape on campus. A glimpse into some of the moments that have defined The
First Academy’s 20th anniversary year.
18
We Are TFA
Beautiful facilities and state-of-the-art resources continue to grow on campus, but
it is our people who make us all that we are. A look at some of the men, women,
and students who embody all that is The First Academy.
School Information
Admissions
Advancement
Headmaster
Lower School
Middle School
Upper School
School Operator
E
D E P A R T M E N T S / N E W S
First Impressions is a semi-annual publication
of The First Academy, a Christ-Centered
College Preparatory School serving grades
K-12, located at 2667 Bruton Boulevard,
Orlando, Florida. For more information
about The First Academy please visit
www.thefirstacademy.org or contact the
Admissions Office at 407.206 .8602.
The First Academy Mission Statement
The First Academy is a Christ-centered,
college-preparatory school whose mission
is to prepare children for life as Christian
leaders who choose character before career,
wisdom beyond scholarship, service before
self, and participation as a way of life.
2
From the Headmaster
14
Around the Lower School
16
Tuned in to Home-School
28
Middle School News
30
The Sports Page
37
Fine Arts Gallery
40
Upper School Pride
42
Alumni Sightings
44
Parting Shots
About the Cover:
The First Academy
celebrates its 20th
Anniversary in
this issue.
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
3
T FA
M O M E N T S
C O N T I N U E D
Focus’ Truth Project Makes an Impact on Campus
Just before the start of last school year,
Dr. Del Tackett of Focus on the Family—
the organization’s name is familiar to
most, primarily as an evangelical ministry
and proponents of Christian family
values—was on campus to introduce a
new initiative, e Truth Project, to TFA
faculty and staff. Such was the response
to the powerful Christian worldview
material that Dr. Tackett was invited back
to the campus to speak to even greater
numbers of church and school families.
e Truth Project curriculum was
seen by participants as significant, timely,
and relevant to the school’s mission and
vision by TFA leadership.
“What better gi can we provide our
children than the skill to discern and value
the truth?” asks TFA Headmaster, Dr.
Steve Whitaker. “If we are going to impact
the next generation of leaders, equip them
with a Biblical worldview, and provide
solid character training, we must begin
with a firm understanding of truth.”
Before the school year began, six faculty
members under the auspices of Director
of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Luci
Higgins, and led by Upper School Bible
teacher, Dr. Scott Toenges, devoted part
of their summer break to oversee the
integration of e Truth Project material
into the curriculum of all grade levels.
e school’s groundbreaking initiative
caught the attention of Focus on the
Family and in January, the media giant—
their broadcasts have a combined reach of
more than 220 million listeners in 155
countries—sent a camera crew and media
team to e First Academy campus. e
crew interviewed students, teachers, and
members of TFA’s Truth Project task
force. Front and center was the man who
held the vision and a determination to equip
e First Academy with an understanding
of truth, Dr. Steve Whitaker.
Dr.Scott Toenges, Leader
of the Upper School Bible
Department and Truth
Project Task Force
Senior, Meredith Weber
All photos by Jeff Atkisson
10
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
Mitch Evans, Upper School Science
teacher, athletics coaching staff
Headmaster, Dr. Steve Whitaker
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
T FA
12
M O M E N T S
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
C O N T I N U E D
WINTER 2008
TFA Honors Those
Who Serve
e First Academy’s Veterans Day
Celebration continued to live up to
its billing as Orlando’s place to be
each fall as the school pays tribute
to the men and women who have
served—or are serving—in the U.S.
armed services.
e theme of this year’s celebration was “Forgotten No More,”
turning the spotlight on those who
served in the Korean War. To the
hundreds of students, faculty, staff,
parents, veterans, and honored
guests, the hardships and sacrifices
of that conflict were brought to life
by the inspiring words of Major Ed
Izbicky of the United States Air
Force (Retired), who served the
final months of 1953 as a POW in
solitary confinement.
Since TFA’s Veteran’s Day Celebration was once again broadcast
live over the Internet, the event’s
international audience also heard
inspiring words from one of the
United States’ oldest living veterans,
Mr. Robley Rex. He celebrated his
106th birthday this year, and the
World War I veteran’s well-delivered
message via Internet was one of the
highlights of the service.
Last year’s live-from-Baghdad
visit by Tech Sgt. Evans, broadcast
into the Worship Center via the
Internet, brought a tear to more
than one eye. Now back in the
United States, he was present on
stage during one of this year’s most
exciting moments—the appearance
of the Army and Marine Corps
rappelling from the nearly 75-foot
ceiling of the Worship Center onto
the stage as the event drew to a close.
Fifth-grader Alex Hughes and Capt. Michael
Waldrop talk with the audience about
AnySoldier.com, an effort that provides
opportunities for people to reach out to
the men and women of the armed forces
who are serving in harm’s way.
The presentation of the colors, while
Upper School Assistant Principal, Cmdr.
Rick Bohner, USN (Retired), salutes, and
sophomore, Justin Melnick, looks on.
Tech Sgt. Evans was a part of the event
for the second consecutive year—this time
on stage, rather than live from Baghdad,
Iraq via the Internet, like last year.
WINTER 2008
F I R S T IM P R E S S I O N S
13
WE ARE TFA
While we are justifiably
proud of our books and
blackboards, our computers
and our campus, it is our
people—our students,
alumni, faculty, and
families—that define us
as an institution.
All of our work and the sum total of our dreams and aspirations lie in how well we have prepared the students
who walk these halls to take their place in the world. Will
they seek first God’s will, humbly and honestly? Will they
seek to be in the world, but not of it? In these times
where, because of the Internet, our neighborhood
extends beyond what we can even travel in a day, will
our students grow to become a part of the global
community and live lives of honor and service?
In the following pages you will find a glimpse of some
of our school family. There are faculty members, students,
and alumni. It is a mirror, really, that we hold up to view
ourselves as a school. The following brief profiles tell the
story of The First Academy.
PETER
Class of 2002
BARKLEY
Peter Barkley’s successes at
The First Academy—a
perfect 1600 on the SAT
and qualifying as a National
Merit Finalist among
them— were just the beginning of some amazing
Peter and his wife,
Jennifer, are currently
accomplishments for this
both student Naval
2002 graduate.
aviators in flight trainPeter accepted an
ing near Pensacola,
appointment to the U.S.
Florida..
Naval Academy and headed
to Annapolis in the fall of 2002. While pursuing his Bachelor of
Science with an Honors Mathematics major and Spanish minor,
Ensign Barkley earned more than a few accolades, including:
• Plebe Calculus Prize, given to the eshman at the Naval
Academy with the highest grades on common exams in Calculus
• Navy-Marine Corps Leadership Award, a peer-selected award
given annually to only six of the 1,000+ midshipmen for
excellence in leadership
• Emmons Prize, awarded to the winner of Loyola Marymount
University’s Business-Ethics Fortnight in recognition of their
presentation and analysis of the ethical, legal, and financial
aspects of a selected dilemma.
18
F I R S T IMPRESSIONS
W INTER 2008
• Military Applications Society Prize for the outstanding graduate
in Operations Research
• Superintendent’s List (multiple years), a recognition of
outstanding military, athletic, and academic performance
Since joining the Navy, Peter has traveled to 15 different countries on
four continents, including much of Europe, Japan, Madagascar, and
the Republic of Georgia. Some of his travel was centered on learning
opportunities. “For four weeks I lived in Salamanca, Spain, where I
studied Spanish in an immersive program,” he wrote. “I lived with a
Spanish host family and attended language school. I visited Madrid,
Barcelona, Toledo, Segovia, and Bilbao.” He also served an internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab outside of Washington,
D.C. in the summer of 2005, studying in areas like risk analysis and
game theoretic approaches to counter-terrorism.
Peter graduated from the Naval Academy in 2006 and accepted
a commission as an officer in the United States Navy. He then traveled
to the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge as
a Gates Cambridge Scholar. While there, Peter rowed on a winning
crew for Emmanuel College, and, in 2007, earned a Master’s of
Philosophy in Computer Speech, Text and Internet Technology.
Today, Peter is a Student Naval Pilot in Primary Flight Training
near Pensacola, Florida. He was recently married to Jennifer Barkley,
a fellow Naval Academy graduate who is also a student Naval Aviator.
JAMIE
CORBETT
amie Corbett was one of TFA’s millennium grads—and one of its
Jmost
active. Among other things, she participated in the thespian
troupe all through high school, tutored students as a member of Future
Teachers of America, and served as class president her freshman,
junior, and senior years. In a case of uncanny accuracy, her classmates
selected Jamie “Most Likely to Succeed,” along with Cole Schrimsher.
Aer graduation Jamie headed to Kentucky to attend Asbury
College (again to serve as class president). While there,
she interned as a reporter for the Lexington
Herald-Leader and was a producer at
the college’s television station. She
completed her Bachelor’s degree
(magna cum laude) in 2004
with a double major in media
communication and journalism.
at summer, Jamie reconnected
with some old classmates for a trip
abroad. “I spent that summer traveling
through Western Europe with five TFA
Class of 2000 alums,” said Jamie. “I ended up in
Athens, Greece for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, where I
worked as a production assistant for Athens Olympic Broadcasting.”
Aer returning to the U.S., Jamie moved to Texas to accept a
position with former TFA Principal, Larry Taylor, at Prestonwood
Christian Academy. Jamie put her degrees to work at Prestonwood,
developing a K-12 media literacy curriculum, implementing their high
“
Sophomore, Class of 2000
After moving to D.C. to pursue a Master’s degree
at American University, Jamie took a position
working with the Department of Homeland
Security Science and Technology Directorate.
school journalism program, and working as the communication
coordinator in the school’s development office.
Jamie relocated to Washington, D.C. in August 2006 to pursue
a Master’s degree in Public Communication at American University.
During her fall semester, she worked in communication for a
coalition of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
focused on international development. Spring found her writing her
master’s thesis on collaboration between churches and
NGOs to achieve shared objectives.
In October 2006, Jamie was
d
accepted to the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF),
described by President George
W. Bush as a program recruiting
students from a variety of academic disciplines “who have a
clear interest in, and commitment
to, excellence in the leadership and
management of public policies and programs.”
Jamie completed her degree in 2007, and accepted a
Program Analyst position in Corporate Communications at the
Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.
“My primary responsibility,” she explained, “is to measure, monitor,
analyze and track the effectiveness of our outreach efforts to key audiences,
including Congress, the media, the scientific community, high-tech
industry and more broadly, the American taxpayer. The greatest
reward of my job is feeling like I play a small part in making
our country safer, more secure and more prepared to
respond to any threat that comes our way,” said
Jamie. “Because I represent the agency to various
audiences, I have to be conversant about every
division and every program within our Directorate.
I also get to do a fair amount of traveling, which
I thoroughly enjoy.”
Jamie has made a home in D.C. in
other important ways, too. “I am involved in a
great church that meets in a coffee shop in
the heart of the city,” she said. “I teach
Sunday school, play on an ultimate Frisbee
team, and take part in a couple of interestbased small groups, including an outdoors
group that has exposed me to hiking,
biking, rock climbing, skiing, and soon, sky
diving. e best thing about living and
working in the District is not even noticing
the recent spike in gas prices. I haven’t
owned a car for two years and I
absolutely love it!”
The greatest reward
of my job is feeling like I play a
small part in making our country
safer...and more prepared to
respond to any threat...”
Jamie (left) and fellow Class
of 2000 alumnus, Elizabeth David
(see her profile also in this issue),
met in New York City for some
“face time” in January 2008.
W I N T E R 20 0 8
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
19
The members of the Peacock family enjoy time
together: Courtney, Allen, Macy and Rusty.
COURTNEY KELSEY
PEACOCK
Class of 1997
C
“
ourtney Kelsey was among the first students to cross the
threshold when The First Academy opened its doors to its
inaugural classes in the fall of 1987. e little, blonde third
grader with the big smile was one of twenty-one students in
Mrs. Truex’s third-grade class.
Ten years later, Courtney was a senior, serving as the
Student Government Association President, captain of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Homecoming Queen.
Fellow members of the Class of 2007 selected her, along with
current TFA Upper School teacher, Mitch Evans, to receive
the honors of the class’s “Most Stressed.” (“I wasn’t surprised
at being voted ‘most stressed,’” explained Courtney. “But I
believe I have always been happiest when I am the busiest and
most involved...although sometimes this makes me appear the
most stressed!”)
Courtney moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt University, where she graduated with Magna Cum
Laude honors in 2000 with a major degree in Communications
and a minor degree in Japanese. A favorite college memory is
the time she spent in Japan as part of her foreign study program.
“Upon graduation, I returned to Orlando,” said Courtney.
“I worked in the hospitality industry for two years in Convention Services, then
decided to go
back to
school.
I completed
my Masters
in Business Administration at Crummer
Graduate School of Business at Rollins College in 2004.”
e year was a big one for Courtney—she married Allen
Peacock, a fellow she had known since childhood at First
Baptist Church of Orlando, in 2004. Allen is the Director of
...I believe I have always
been happiest when I am the
busiest and most involved...”
Development for Taurus Southern Investments, and the couple
unwinds at the end of the day with the other two members of
their family, Macy and Rusty. “We love to spend time with our
two dogs,” she said. “We both volunteer with Frontline Outreach’s
Read & Succeed Program, and are actively involved in leadership
with our Life Group at First Orlando.”
In 2002, Courtney put her Vanderbilt degree to work at
Kelsey Construction, an industry fixture in Central Florida and
the southeastern U.S. for nearly 90 years. For two years, she
worked during the day and pursued her Master’s degree at night.
She currently serves as Kelsey’s Vice President, and has obtained
her Florida State General Contractor’s License and LEED
(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Professional
Accreditation.
Somehow, Courtney carves out time to help the Advancement
Office of e First Academy in their Alumni Relations efforts.
She teamed up with classmate, Jeremy Corbett, last autumn to
gather the Class of 1997 for a ten-year reunion.
Courtney was a happy
third-grader when TFA
opened its doors in 1987.
Mike Kelsey unloads equipment in the days just before
the school opened in 1987.
He served on the original
building committee and
first school board.
20
F I R S T IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
Courtney served as SGA
president and the 1996
Homecoming Queen (alongside
King Jake Schrimsher) during
her senior year.
Courtney is currently a
Vice President at Kelsey
Construction, working
alongside her dad, Mike.
Luci Higgins is a native Floridian, born in Gainesville and graduating
from Ft. Lauderdale’s Westminster Academy (Class of 1984) before moving
to Tallahassee at the age of 17 to start classes at Florida State University.
Luci was drawn to FSU by its theatre program, but ended up with a dual
Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Bachelor of Science, Special Learning
Disabilities, Emotional Handicaps, and Varying Exceptionalities. She
continued on at FSU, earning a Master’s of Science in SLD, EH, and VE, and
completed her Educational Doctorate at Nova Southeastern University.
is is Luci’s fourth year at e First Academy. She is currently the
Director of Curriculum and Instruction, having served in Lower School
administration prior to accepting this position last year. Luci and her husband, Michael, have two daughters, Charli (4th grade) and Bailey (3rd).
Luci is a marathon runner, and was facing burnout
in early 2006. Aer a grueling Disney Goofy
Challenge (a marathon is just over 26 miles;
Luci ran a half marathon on Saturday
and full marathon on Sunday), “I
realized that perhaps the marathon
was simply too grueling for me,”
she said. “I told everyone that I
would not run in another marathon
unless it was with my daughters.”
Within a few weeks, she received
word that her brother, Major Jackson ( Jeb)
Seims, would soon be deployed to Iraq.
“About that time, I was just disgusted with the disgraceful way the
media and some special interest groups were treating the honorable men
and women of our military,” said Luci. “I knew that my brother and his
fellow soldiers would be standing guard for all of us, no matter how tired
or disheartened they may be. I felt driven to find a way to say ‘thank you’
to them and let them know how proud I was of them.”
When Luci came upon a flyer for the Marine Corp Marathon in
Washington, D.C., her thoughts went to how tough and lonely the training
is for such an event. “But the vision of running through the streets of our
capital with a shirt that said ‘THANK YOU TROOPS!’ haunted me. I
knew that there would be marines along the route,” she said.
Although Luci doubted that she had the physical strength or time to
train, she became convinced that the challenges were exactly why she
should do it. She told her family and friends about her desire to run, and
shared it with her brother before he le for Iraq on Easter Sunday, 2007.
“
Major Jeb
this, that he may lay
Seims, Luci’s
down his life for his brother, in Iraq
friends.’ ( John 15:13),
with a Sheik
ank You USA Troops! and his son. His
tour ends this
You R Our HEROES!
August.
We Love You.”
“ere were so many
runners with shirts listing loved ones that had died in the war,” Luci said, sadly. “I saw parents
running in memory of their son. I saw the Naval Academy class of 1996
running in memory of their fallen comrades.” A wife ran in memory of her
husband, and on her back were the words, “I will finish this.”
“It was an honor to say ‘thank you’ to the
Marines along the route,” Luci said. “Each
seemed surprised and appreciative.
It concerned me that they were
surprised, but I wasn’t the only
one saying thank you.”
“I realize the race was an
insignificant gesture,” said Luci.
“But it did require sacrifice—from
my family, my body and my mind.
But as insignificant as it was, it was worth
all of the pain and fatigue to say ‘thank you.’”
Dr. Luci Higgins completed the Marine
Corp Marathon in Washington, DC on October 28, 2007. Finishing
time 4hours 46 minutes.
...I was
just disgusted with the
disgraceful way the media and
some special interest groups were
treating the honorable men and
women of our military.”
LUCI
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
HIGGINS
“e training became a blessing,” said Luci. “I pray when I run. I
would see the sunrise and pray that hours before, my brother had witnessed
the same majestic event.” ere were some tough times, too. “One Saturday,
my husband had to stop what he was doing and give me a pep talk (think
Burgess Meredith, in the Rocky movies),” she laughed.
The big day came around. “The Marine Corp Marathon was a
wonderful experience,” she said. “I made a shirt: ‘Proud big sister of Major
Jeb Seims, ank You Troops!’ Underneath, my favorite verse for running:
Isaiah 40:31. e back of the shirt read: ‘Greater love has no one than
Daughters, Bailey (left)
and Charli, with mom at
the Marine Corps Marathon
in Washington D.C.
Class of 2000
ELIZABETH
DAVID
E
Chick-fil-A President,
Dan Cathy, sets a
great example by
being a frequent
participant in fitness
events that Elizabeth
has scheduled for
company employees.
Here, Mr. Cathy and
Elizabeth at one such
event in Nashville, TN.
22
lizabeth David was a member of e First Academy’s “Y2K”
class. In the year that broad speculation had everything from PCs
to parking meters experiencing a date-related meltdown, Elizabeth
served the Homecoming Court as its Queen, the senior class as
Miss TFA, received the Christian Character award, and was
selected as the “Most Spirited” in senior superlatives.
e Class of 2000—and the known universe—survived Y2K
just fine, and Elizabeth headed off to Liberty University. Like
many matriculating college students, Elizabeth was a bit uncertain
when it came time to declare a major.
F I R S T IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
“If you had asked me when I was young what my dream job
was, I would have said, ‘to be a wife, mom and motivational
speaker.’ When it came time to actually choose a major, I found
out you can’t really major in being a wife and mom, so I asked my
dad for advice on what I should choose.
‘What do you love doing?’ he asked. Aer thinking for a few
minutes I answered, ‘Exercising.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Can
you major in that?’ he asked. Well, I found out that I could, and I
immediately declared Exercise Science my major. I remember the
day in Starbucks on Sandlake Road when I thought, ‘If I could
work for a company whose product I LOVED and motivate them
about health and wellness, I would have my dream job!’ How I
could realistically get there I had no idea.”
In November 2003, Elizabeth had nearly completed her
Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and was once again at a
crossroads with some major decision-making at hand.
“I had completed an internship at Cooper Aerobics Center in
Dallas the summer before and was coming up on early graduation.
I needed to start my career, and had job offers from across the
country. One in particular was appealing: the White House. To
work with the Army, CIA, and other governmental
agencies, motivating them to be the best they can
be with their health? It sounded awesome!
But I had no peace. I vividly remember
driving away, having received the job offer
and calling my dad. ‘I just don’t know
Dad—something doesn’t feel right.’ I
prayed about it. ‘Lord, please just give
me another cool opportunity and I
will turn this down.’ Silence. ‘Okay,
just another job opportunity?’
Silence again. ‘Okay. Lord, please
don’t make me move home without
a job. I understand that accepting
the job at the White House is not
the path, but it will be total defeat
to move home with no job!’
My amazing brother Doug
came to Liberty a month later with
the U-haul and helped me move
home. No job. Immediately, I
called Jennifer Adamson, the
Women’s Ministry Director at First
Baptist Church of Orlando. ‘Can I
intern for you?’ I asked. I don’t think
she had had an intern before, but
what a great opportunity to learn
from—and work with—an amazing
godly woman.
My sister in-law hired me to do event planning with
her. It seemed random at the time, but as the story
unfolds it all makes sense!
So for three months I was an event planner/
Women’s Ministry intern. While the opportunities
were amazing, this was the hardest time in my life
internally. I felt so defeated. I had worked so hard and
had turned down an amazing job, but deep down
knew that the Lord had a purpose for it. But I was not
liking the process. My mom (who is the best mom and
best friend I could imagine!) tells me she remembers
the day I walked down the stairs at
home and announced, "I’m
done." I told her I
was done fighting.
While I was
slow to learn
it, I then fully
understood it
is not about me
and what I can do.
Whatever plans the
Lord had for me, I was ready to
fully accept. While this was the hardest
internal struggle, I would NEVER trade this
experience for the world!
Two days later I got a call from Cooper, where I
had done my internship. Apparently, the President of
Chick-fil-A had built a relationship with Dr. Cooper
and Chick-fil-A wanted to develop a wellness program.
Flash back to the dream job vision I had while
standing in Starbucks, and let me share that I L-O-V-E
Chick-fil-A! A week later I was flying up for six hours
of interviewing with the executives at Chick-fil-A. I
le saying that it was the best day of my life!
ree days later I packed up my jeep and moved
to Atlanta, my brother following with the U-Haul.
Other than an aunt and uncle living south of the city,
I didn’t know anyone. I found an apartment, and, as
my brother and I were sitting there on my first Sunday
at Buckhead Church, in walked Greer Howard (TFA
Class of 1999). Since then, we have become best
friends, and have led a group of high school girls for
the past four years. rough church I have met tons of
friends, and work has been the greatest blessing!”
While the duties and responsibilities of her job
are incredibly diverse, she indicates that her primary
“
objective is to motivate and educate Chick-fil-A staff,
Operators and team members on the importance of
making good health a life-long priority.
“We do this by creating environments and
opportunities that make the pursuit of good health
irresistible,” said Elizabeth. She was called upon to
design a 12,000 square-foot gym (an experience that
she calls a ‘blessing’) and presents the joys and benefits
of a healthy lifestyle to her constituents by leading two
and a half-day retreats, where she also serves as a
speaker. “e program started with just me working
crazy hours!” Elizabeth said. “Now,
going on four years later, I
have some balance in
my life. I have
three full-time
staff members
(two fitness
trainers and a
registered dietician), along with a
group exercise staff.”
Elizabeth is justifiably proud of the results of their efforts. “Our
program can claim 50% participation rates, which is more
than five times higher than most other companies. We
took 201 to run the Disney Half and Full Marathons,
125 to hike Pikes Peak, and over 1200 participated in
our annual internal 5K walk/run. Our President, Dan
Cathy, makes wellness a top priority, personally and
corporately. e mission statement of Chick-fil-A is
to ‘glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that
is entrusted to us and to have a positive impact on all
who come in contact with us’—and making personal
health a priority is part of being that faithful steward!”
Elizabeth has had some amazing experiences and
travels in her career thus far. She is quick to tell you,
however, that it was only by opening herself to God’s
plan for her life that she was able to find her own.
“If you had asked me when I was little if I
thought I would be sitting where I am at this moment,
I would have never dreamed it. It is ONLY (I learned
this lesson once, and am reminded daily) by HIS grace
that I am where I am...and it is my job to glorify Him
with it! Who knows what tomorrow holds, but
thankfully, I can totally trust that He will never leave
me or forsake me—and He is leading the way!”
Lord...I understand
that accepting the job at the
White House is not the path, but it
will be total defeat to move
home with no job!”
PHOTOS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
Elizabeth was crowned Homecoming
Queen 1999 during the fall of her
senior year at The First Academy.
She reigned, along with King Brett
Kenerly, over that year’s luauthemed Homecoming Banquet.
Along with several other Chick-fil-A
corporate leaders, Elizabeth traveled
to the Ukraine to teach the CFA
business model to business and
governmental leaders.
Greer Howard, TFA Class of 1999,
became a close friend to Elizabeth
when the two stumbled upon one
another at Elizabeth’s first Sunday
at her church in Atlanta.
Along with her dad, Walter, Elizabeth
hiked Pikes Peak in Colorado in a
planning expedition for an upcoming
trip of her corporate hikers, including
Elizabeth was speaking at a confer- Chick-fil-A president, Dan Cathy. “I
ence in Londrina, Brazil at the same had to find a way to get all of the CFA
time that the San Paulo team scored folks from their homes to Colorado,
a major futbol (soccer to us) victory. up the mountain, back down the
mountain, alive, well fed, with a
great hotel!” wrote Elizabeth.
Elizabeth (third from left) and her
staff plan and promote all sorts of
fitness-related events, including
Chick-fil-A’s internal dodgeball tournament, The Moooooove Challenge.
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
23
JASON
SCHMIDT
Schmidt, the maestro behind TFA’s burgeoning band program,
Jisason
the oldest of four children born to Tracy and Jerri Schmidt of
Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up roaming the halls of the city’s historic
Bellevue Baptist Church and played in the orchestra. When not playing
baseball and basketball, Jason continued to make music in high
school, and while attending the University of Memphis, performing
with university ensembles and playing principal trombone in
the Germantown Symphony
Orchestra.
Aer graduating in 2003
with a Bachelors of Music
in Music Education, Jason went
to work for Memphis’
famous corporate resident,
FedEx. Even while working as an Information Technology Specialist
with the shipping giant, Jason was hoping to pursue his passion by
finding a position as a band director. He kept his music going aer
work by teaching private lessons and acting as Orchestra Director
at a Memphis church.
“Memphis City Schools wasn’t the place for me,
and the band directors at the private schools were
solidly in place,” said Jason. “When my parents
moved to Orlando and my sister, Kacey, came to
TFA, we heard about an opening here. I applied, and
TFA called to interview me. As it happened, the week
that they wanted to interview was the same week I
had scheduled to be in Orlando for business. I
scheduled that trip long before I knew TFA existed, so
I knew God was up to something. I interviewed and
le the rest in His hands.”
ree weeks later, Jason was
offered the job. He accepted, and four
weeks aer that, moved to Orlando and
took up the baton to lead e First
Academy band program.
Jason married his “best friend and
high school sweetheart,” Daly. ey have
three boys, Cadence (4), Bradyn (2), and
Foster (1). Jason feels that perhaps God
had more than a career change in mind
when He brought the family to Florida.
“Shortly before we le Memphis, we
had begun a journey with my oldest son
to figure out why he wasn’t talking and
meeting developmental milestones,”
said Jason. “Although we were receiving
“
...God has been so
good, and has been faithful
to meet us personally when
we needed Him.”
Band Director & Fine Arts Department Head
services to help him, looking back on it, we don’t think we would have
ever gotten the diagnosis of Fragile X syndrome if we had not moved
to Orlando. It has been almost two years since we got the diagnosis on
both Cade and Bradyn, but God has been so good, and has been faithful
to meet us personally when we needed Him. Daly
and my boys are my heartbeat, and even though
I love teaching music, my family sustains me.”
Jason has taken the TFA band program
to new places: last year, two students qualified for the Florida All State Honor Band,
and he has nearly tripled the size of the
Upper School Band in just two years. e
band garnered a Superior rating at the
ACSI Concert Band Festival, and the Royal
Marching Band made school history this fall
as they took second place in their first-ever
competition. Many who have heard
the bands at various performance
events have marveled at the progress
students have made. “I’m very proud
of our students and
the work they
put into
their music,” said Jason. “It
takes time and commitment, and they’ve come
through on both.”
Jason hasn’t been short
on commitment, either. He
was recently notified of his
acceptance into the online
Master’s degree in Music
Education program at
Boston University—
theoldestmusicdegreegranting institution
in the country.
Jason laughs with his children Foster,
Bradyn and Cadence.
Jason hugs his high school
sweetheart and wife, Daly.
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
25
ALUMNI
FACULTY
In perhaps one of the most revealing testaments to e First Academy, nine of its current faculty and staff members are graduates
of the school. Each went away to college, and some went on aer college to pursue other interests for a time. e eldest graduated
om e First Academy in 1996, four are members of the Class of 1999, two are 2002 grads, and one alumnus om the
Class of 2000 was a member of TFA’s charter kindergarten class when the school opened in 1987. Some have seen a bit of the
world—places like Romania, Malaysia, and New Zealand, and one was a star athlete on her college campus.
ree of our alumni faculty married other TFA grads (well, two of those three married one another), two have added
future alumni to their families, and one, way back in history, was awarded the senior superlative “Most Likely to Return to
TFA to Teach” by classmates. Regardless of who saw it coming, we’re glad they all brought their education back to this
campus to teach the next generation of TFA alumni.
MATTADAMS
Class of 2000
Matt is currently a member of the Middle
School faculty, teaching seventh grade
history. He is also a member of an elite
group of graduates: he was a student in
the charter kindergarten class of e
First Academy when it opened in
1987, and attended the school for all
13 years before graduating in 2000.
Matt le that fall for Mississippi
College. He felt strongly called elsewhere,
and aer what he calls “one very long
year in Mississippi,” he came back to
Orlando. Matt dove into his degree at
Valencia, received an Associate of Arts,
and turned his sites to the University of
Central Florida. He earned a Bachelor’s
degree in History from UCF in 2006.
It wasn’t just college that kept
Matt busy. “During those five years in
college I had the opportunity to travel
quite a bit on short-term mission
projects,” said Matt. “I traveled to
Hungary, Romania, and the Bahamas.”
During this time Matt
began dating Angela
Yarborough, a fellow
TFA alumnus. “We were
in school together for
four years and never
dated,” said Matt. “But we
went off to Mississippi
College and started dating during that first year.”
e couple married in
August 2005.
26
F I R S T IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
MITCHEVANS
Class of 1997
After graduating from TFA in 1997, Mitch
headed to Gainesville to pursue a Bachelor’s
of Science in Microbiology from the University
of Florida. His lifelong dream was to attend
medical school, but soon found that the Lord
had other plans.
“After graduating from UF, I came back to
TFA in the Spring of 2002 as a full-time sub
while I continued to apply to various medical
schools across the country,” he said. In the fall
of 2002, Mitch joined the Upper School faculty
to teach Biology and AP Biology. He also
signed on to help coach football and baseball.
“I fell in love with teaching and coaching,”
said Mitch. “I realized that God had closed the
medical school doors only to open my heart to
teaching.”
Teaching wasn’t the only thing Mitch fell in
love with at TFA. “I also met my wife, Dawn,
who was teaching right across the hall,” he
said. The couple married in December 2004.
The pair was blessed a year and a half later
with a daughter, Brighton Slone.
In a case of uncanny foresight, Mitch’s
senior classmates voted him the “Most Likely to
Come Back and Teach” at TFA.
MICHELE NEWMAN
MOREMAN Class of 1999
Michele was a driving force behind TFA’s first back-to-back state championship in girls’ basketball in 1998 and 1999. She set record aer
record on this campus, and then did the same at Lynn University in
Boca Raton. Searches in the volleyball media guide for LU still have
Michele holding multiple school records for both individual season and
career stats; among them are most kills (517 in the 2003 season, 1,227
career) and service aces (149 career). Michele was also very successful on
the Knights’ ladies’ basketball teams before graduating with a Bachelor
of Science in Biology and a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
Michele will soon celebrate her second wedding anniversary with husband, Mathew Moreman.
She currently teaches seventh grade Life Science, and coaches the varsity volleyball and basketball teams.
MATTMCGEE
Class of 2002
Matt headed to the University of Central Florida
aer graduating from
TFA, earning a Bachelor’s
degree with a major in History and minor in Business
in 2006. Aer college,
Matt traveled to Malaysia
to serve as a church youth
director for a year.
“Malaysia is made up of three primary
populations,” he said. “e Malays, Chinese,
and Indians. I worked primarily with the
Chinese at a church in Kuala Lumpur. I
was also part of a group that would reach
out at a local college campus, trying to
build relationships with the students and
lead them to Christ. God blessed me with
incredible opportunities to speak at a few
churches around the country, including
one church that was closed by the government a few weeks later. God was extremely
faithful to me over there, always providing
for my needs and giving me strength
through every trial.”
According to Matt, many people
come to study in Malaysia from countries
that are closed to the gospel and do not
allow visiting missionaries. “I have had
some very interesting conversations with
students from Iran, Iraq, and all over the
Middle East.”
Matt has been working for several
months with TFA’s Advancement Office,
planning special events and as a coordinator
in Alumni Relations.
HOLLYLAIL FRIDAY
After
graduation,
Holly attended the
University of Florida,
where she earned a
degree in Public Relations. She moved back to
Orlando and accepted a position at a PR firm.
Holly was soon on a plane to Australia.
“I arrived in Sydney with no job, no place to
live, and without knowing a soul,” said Holly.
“Four months later, I left after having one of the
best experiences of my life. I lived on the
beach for two months while working at childcare centers and babysitting for a former TFA
Class of 2002
family. Next, I traveled half the country by bus,
meeting people from around the world. I
finished up in New Zealand, where my 70year-old grandmother flew to meet me.”
Holly married her childhood sweetheart,
Robin Friday, in 2007. “I met Robin at TFA,
in third grade,” she said. “We became engaged in the same spot where we shared our
first kiss, and married a year later in the same
church where my parents said their vows
close to 30 years ago.”
Holly has been on staff for two years, and
is the Director of the LS After-School Program.
MATTRUTA
Class of 1999
Matt was very active in TFA basketball, playing on both the junior
varsity and varsity basketball teams before he graduated in 1999.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at
Mississippi College, then went on to receive a Master’s degree in the
Art of Teaching from Belhaven College. Matt has been teaching in
the Math department of the Upper School for four years, and is an
assistant coach in the boys’ basketball program.
MELISSASAVAGEADAMS
Melissa came to e First Academy in 1993 as
a freshman. Although she participated in
cheerleading all four years of high school, her
calling was clearly the fine arts. She attended
All-State Chorus twice, participated in the
school play each year, and consistently earned
Superior rankings in competitions and festivals
by national music organizations. She graduated
in 1996 and moved south to attend Palm Beach
Atlantic University.
Class of 1996
She graduated from PBAU with a degree in
Communications and Music, and married
Aaron Adams in 2000. e couple has a son,
Taylor, who is three years
old. Melissa has been
teaching Elementary
Music and Choir at TFA
for six years, and is the
Director of the Lower
School Royal Choir.
BRITTAINYMITCHELL & LANCEMILLSAPS
Brittainy Mitchell Millsaps brought home TFA’s
first state diving championship as a junior in 1997.
She graduated and headed
to Asbury College, where
she competed in the NAIA
(Diving) Nationals before
transferring to Mississippi
College as a junior. She
returned to Orlando in
2003 after earning her
Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and
married TFA grad Lance
Millsaps later that year.
She briefly taught in
the Orange County Public
Schools before joining TFA,
where she currently is in
her third year of teaching
second grade.
Brittainy and Lance
have one child, Addison,
who is nine months old.
Lance Millsaps was
in Mrs. Pond’s first grade
class when the school
opened in 1987. He went
on to earn a Bachelor’s
degree from Mississippi
College in 2003.
Lance returned to
Orlando and began his
career. “After a few months
in the business world,” he
said, “I knew that God
was calling me to teach
and coach. I was a substi-
tute teacher for two years
while assisting Coach Mayberry with boys’ basketball.”
Lance is now in his third
year as a full-time faculty
member at TFA, serving as
the eighth-grade team
leader and teaching American History. He continues
to serve on the coaching
staff for boys’ basketball.
Lance recently completed his Master’s degree
in educational leadership
from Nova Southeastern
Class of 1999
University, and stays busy
with his wife, TFA alumnus,
Brittainy, and their daughter,
Addison. “Our daughter is
amazing,” said dad, “and
has changed our lives
immensely.”
He has a heart for
other children as well.
“Teaching these students
has been the most fulfilling
experience of my life,” said
Lance. “I pray that God
will continue to use me in
the lives of teenagers.”
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
27
PA G E
SPORTS
THE
Athletic History Runs Deep at TFA
e First Academy’s athletic history goes the newest in TFA’s world-class athletic
back to the very beginning of the school. venues, the Dizney Family Tennis Center.
Even though its oldest students were in
Times have changed at e First
the sixth grade, TFA boasted three
Academy. In the last two decades we
soccer teams, four basketball
have enjoyed championship
teams, and two cheerleading
titles at all levels, from
07/08
squads in its inaugural
District to State. We have
TFA ATHLETIC
school year, 1987-1988.
won multiple academic,
PROGRAMS
ere was no gym, and
sportsmanship, and
VARSITY
the most rudimentary
MVP awards, as well
Football, Volleyball, Cross Country,
of athletic fields.
as multiple Athlete
Golf, Swimming & Diving, Soccer
Today, the school
and Coach of the
Cheerleading, Basketball, Tennis,
fields teams in fourYear honors. Our faTrack & Field, Weightlifting,
Baseball, Softball
teen different varsity
cilities have garnered
sports, five junior
media attention for
JUNIOR VARSITY
varsity and seven
their excellence, and
Basketball, Volleyball, Golf,
junior-high sports.
have
been the practice
Tennis, Cross Country
TFA also has a
site of choice for
JUNIOR HIGH
thriving Lower School
visiting Olympic athFootball, Volleyball, Soccer
sports program that
letes as well as NCAA
Cheerleading, Basketball,
allows hundreds of
Football
Bowl ChampiTrack & Field,
students in kindergarten
onship teams. One thing,
Baseball
through fih grade to partichowever, has remained the
ipate in soccer, flag football,
same through wins and losses,
cheerleading, volleyball, tackle football triumph and tragedy, rebuilding years
(fih grade boys), basketball, golf, and and championship seasons:
IT’S GREAT To BE A RoyAL!
tennis—with the tennis program enjoying
National Champ Speaks to Honorees
On September 14, TFA Athletic Director
Darrell Don (left) and Dr. Whitaker (right)
attended the Florida High School Athletics
Association (FHSAA) Sportsmanship Summit.
Billy Donovan (center), coach of the NCAA
Basketball National Champion Florida
30
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
Gators, was the keynote speaker at the event
honoring winners of the FHSAA Fred E.
Rozelle Sportsmanship Award. TFA was one
of just six programs honored of the more than
700 member schools in Florida. One school
in each division is selected for exhibiting
“exemplary sportsmanship during the
regular season and FHSAA State Series.
Each year, the award is presented to the
school in each classification whose total
athletic program best exemplifies the
qualities of sportsmanship by its coaches,
athletes and spectators. Member schools,
officials associations and the news media
may nominate schools for the award.”
TFA’s Alumni Athletes
Who Have Competed
in the NCAA
Allison Barr—U of SC—Diving
Allison Hirschy—Auburn—Volleyball
Andre Glover—Covenant College—Baseball
Ashley Schinzing—MS College—Volleyball
Brett Richardson—PB Atlantic—Baseball
Brittainy Mitchell—Asbury College—Diving
Brittany Clark—Mercer U—Cross Country
Butchie Rowley—U of Utah & UF—Football
Champ Rawls—Oglethorpe—Basketball
Chas Crofoot—Auburn—Football
Chelsea Gebben—Mercer U—Volleyball
Chris Green—Liberty University—Football
Chris Johnson—MS College—Football
Eric Valdez—Bucknell University—Baseball
Ike Crofoot—U of South Carolina—Football
Jaimie Givens—FAU—Basketball
Jake Mitchell—Duquesne U—Football
Jake Palm—Davis & Elkins—Baseball
Jake Schrimhsher—Samford U—Football
Jay Lumpkins—Clemson U—Track/CC
Jenny Lutrell—Samford U—Basketball
Kevin Kelsey—Spring Hill College—Baseball
Krystal Thomas—Duke U—Basketball
Kyle Barber—Eastern Kentucky U—Football
Lindsey Albert—MS College—Volleyball
Matt Hardy—PB Atlantic—Baseball
Michael Williamson—UF—Football
Michele Newman—Lynn U—Basketball/Volleyball
Nate Skellenger—Carson Newman—Football
Paul Harvey—PB Atlantic—Baseball
Peyton Schrimsher—Oglethorpe—Basketball
Steve Newman—U of Georgia—Basketball
Taylor McBath—PB Atlantic—Baseball
Taylor Young—UCF—Basketball
Tierra Brown—Stetson University—Basketball
Tim Shively—Central Wesleyen U—Basketball
Tony Patti—US Naval Academy—Football
Former Royal
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for the great—and
passionate about
football—Lou Holtz,
at the University of
South Carolina.
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WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
31
T H E
S P O R T S
PA G E
C O N T I N U E D
Sports Recap
FOOTBALL
Under head coach Leroy Kinard, varsity
football finished the regular season strong
and won its first round play-off game against
University Christian on the home field at
PSAC. e Royals scored their final touchdown of the season with nineteen seconds
le on the clock to defeat the “Fighting
Christians,” 28-21. e Royals fell the next
week to the 2nd ranked, five-time state
champs, North Florida Christian Eagles.
BOYS GOLF
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
Coached by Jerry Chambers, the team
had an outstanding year, competing against
the top teams in the state. Highlights of
the season included setting a new school
record round of 138 (six under par)
against Edgewater, finishing second in the
Lake Orlando Invitational, and another
second place finish in the Bishop Moore
Invitational.
Leading this year in nine-hole scoring
averages were senior Michael Boyd
(36.60), who did not have a nine-hole
round over 39 all season. Sophomore
Bobby Rohrlach (37.33), shot a 4 under
par 68 at the TFA Invitational. Senior
Chase Fleming (39.69) shot a 75 in
the District tournament to qualify for
Regionals as an individual competitor.
GIRLS GOLF
e Lady Royals golf team, under coach
Earl Noffsinger, advanced to Regionals
by finishing runner-up in the District
Tournament. The team was lead in
scoring by freshman, Nicole Quinn, who
shot the second lowest score of the day, a
76. To illustrate how much the girls have
improved from one season to the next,
their combined score of 403 was 44
strokes less than their total in last year’s
Regionals round—the same 4 golfers on
the same course.
VOLLEYBALL
VARSITY—Under coach Michele Moreman, the Lady Royals had great victories
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
32
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
over Lyman, Trinity Prep, Edgewater, and
e Master’s Academy. In the final home
match, seniors Abby Murray, Brittany
Matheson, and Amy Long, led the team to
a win in three games. With three outstanding
freshmen starting the team will be a force
in the years to come.
JUNIOR VARSITY—This team
finished the season 17-2, with two great
wins over Edgewater High School and
e Master’s Academy in the final week.
e team, coached by Dawn Evans, had
the best season in JV history. Stand-out
players Britany Winders, MacKenzie
McDaniel, Laura Keator, and Bethany
Williams joined the varsity team to finish
out the season.
FRESHMEN—e newly-formed
freshman team, with the leadership of
coach Danielle Lampkin, went on a long
undefeated streak, including notable
wins like the Tournament at Gateway
High School and a win against Oviedo
High School.
EIgHTH gRAdE—ese athletes
finished the season 10-9 and played well
in the league tournament. Aer winning
the first round match against Orangewood, they lost the semi-final game to a
very good Lake Highland team. Coaches
JT Burnett and Diane McHugh lead
the players to tremendous improvement
throughout the season.
SEVENTH gRAdE—is team,
coached by Leslie o’Dell, played tough
in the league tournament. In the first and
second rounds, they defeated e Master’s
Academy and Orangewood (the number
2 team). ey advanced to the finals,
bringing home the second place trophy
aer falling to e Christ School in the
championship match.
SIXTH gRAdE—is team came
on strong to win the league with a record
of 18-1. In the first game of the championship match, TFA raced out to a 6-0
lead, but Pine Castle Christian pulled out
the win, 14-16. e second game started
out much like the first, however, this time
the Royals held on, winning 15-8. In a
nail-biter, the girls were down early in the
decisive third game, but pulled away,
taking the league championship, 15-12.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
VARSITY—Coach Chris Mayberry and
the team entered Districts with a 17-10
record. Although they played hard, they
lost in the semi-final game. Kacey
Chambers and Mike Mapple led the
Royals all year and were the team’s leading
scorers, while senior Ian Gauntt was the
emotional leader of the team.
e Royals relied heavily on three
young starters: Albert Settles (8th),
started at point guard all year. Tyler Coons
(8th), was the team’s third leading scorer,
while Andre Kratt (9th), was a starter
and one of the team’s best defenders.
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
SWIMMING & DIVING
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
Under Head Coach, Billie Barr, this year’s
swim & dive team had an incredible season
not only in number of team members, but
also effort and dedication. They continue to
grow in ability and this year were able to
field a relay team that qualified for Districts.
The year also saw two stand out athletes
in swimmer Alana Hardeman, and diver,
Ariana Barr. Alana consistently won every
heat she entered and was a finalist at District
competition. On the diving side, Ariana was
TFA’s only State qualifier. She has competed
at the State level three of her four years in
varsity competition. If both Ariana and
Alana continue at their current level the team
could see both girls at State next year.
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
33
T H E
S P O R T S
PA G E
C O N T I N U E D
Pierre, and Austin Josiah. Coach says
that this is one of the most hard-working,
competitive group of young men TFA has
seen in recent history, and that they will
have a positive impact on the future of
TFA Hoops.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Junior Jake Albert worked his way back
in the lineup this season aer losing his
entire sophomore season to a knee injury.
Clark Keator and Zach Bishop came off
the bench to provide defense, rebounding,
and great energy. Next year should prove
to be a strong season, as the Royals will see
the return of all five starters.
JUNIOR VARSITY—The team
finished with a 15-6 record and a second
place finish in the First Commercial Bank
Private School Showdown. Highlights of
the year included big wins against Lake
Highland, Montverde, Trinity Prep,
Florida Air, and Bishop Moore. e boys
were led by the scoring and leadership of
Taylor Akers, Albert Rose, and Kyle
Crofoot. ese great scorers were complemented by the hustle and toughness of
Ross Price, Christian Sandburg, Robert
VARSITY—Coached byMicheleMoreman
and led by senior captain and FSU signee,
Alexa DeLuzio, the Lady Royals played a
tremendous season. Alexa posted 570 points
on the year and passed the 2,000th career
point mark. Her 51% field goal percentage,
5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists per game
average helped the team earn a Top-6 state
ranking in the regular season.
Alexa had help from junior Erin
Knight who shot 50% from both field
and from behind the three-point line. For
the year, Erin knocked down 84 threes in
166 attempts. She is also the district winner
of the All-State 3-Point Shootout, where
she made 11 out of 15. Senior Brianna
Lollis brought a defensive spark and came
on strong. With Loren omas bringing
down an average of 7 rebounds a game
along with 2.7 blocks, the team had many
weapons against their opponents.
CROSS COUNTRY
Under the leadership of coach Steve Sagraves,
the boys’ cross country squad finished third out of
22 teams at Districts to qualify for Regionals. All-District (Top 10), Drew Percival, finished in eighth.
He was followed by James Grosshans, Tanner
Dodge, Hayden Rodrigue, Nate Scheer,
Thomas Nash and Ramon Rivas. Although the
boys’ team did not continue on to State, senior Drew
Percival ran a personal best of 17:49 to make the
TFA All-Time Top 10 performers list.
The girls’ team also qualified for Regionals by
finishing fourth in Districts. They were led by two
amazing sixth graders, All-District Kuersten Gallivan, and Brianna Lenz. They were followed by
Devan Vandergrift, Rebekkah Warmus,
Lee Almegard, and Kaci Mitchell. Kuersten
Gallivan qualified for State by running a personal
best of 20:08. She finished 81st out of 175 runners.
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
34
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
Senior Alexa DeLuzio was recognized as the newest
member of TFA’s 2,000 Point Club. Alexa has
signed a letter of intent to attend and play for
Florida State University. Shown are (LtoR) Assistant
Coach Audrey Martinet, mom Sheri DeLuzio,
Alexa, dad Don, Head Coach Michele Moreman,
and Assistant Coach Jimmy Knott.
e Lady Royals earned
a District Championship
with their 21st win of the
season. e team rolled on,
winning the Regional Semifinals. ey took it nearly
all the way as they hosted
the Regional Final against
Mayo Lafayette, but lost in
a 2-point heartbreaker.
JUNIOR VARSITY—
e team battled this season
as they faced much older
and more experienced teams.
Shannon Hair and Kelsey
Grant led the team from the guard position
as they controlled the offensive end of the
court. ese two girls along with Susannah
Schrimsher joined the varsity team for
their playoff run.
EIgHTH gRAdE—is team got
off to an amazing 13-0 start with the girls
entering the Metro Tournament in January
as the #1 seed. Rylee Bronson, Ashley
Brumbeloe, McKalyn Burnett, Dannielle
Greene, Jaclyn Land and Erika omas
Photo by Jeff Atkisson
lead the team. Seventh graders Jeanier
Anderson, Giavanna Haseley and Sarah
Hayes were also huge contributors to
the team, as was 6th grade point guard
Victoria Grant.
e girls played Pinecastle for the
league semifinal game, winning in doubleovertime. Aer that nail-biter, the team had
a 20-minute rest before tipping off for the
final championship game. Aer getting
down early, the team fought back, taking
the championship and finishing 17-0.
SEVENTH gRAdE—According to
Coach Lehnhoff, the Lady Royals worked
on fundamentals and Christ-like attitudes,
which were a key ingredient in their successful 9-1 record. ey entered the playoffs
outscoring their opponents 257-96. During
the championship game against Circle
Christian, the Royals crept to an early lead
and fought hard to keep it, sealing the
championship with a 33-24 victory.
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
35
F I N E
A R T S
G A L L E R Y
appreciation inscribed to reflect the theme
for this year’s Veteran’s Day celebration,
adorned with the words “Forever in Our
Hearts,” and presented to special guest
speaker, Major Ed Izbicky, United States
Air Force, Retired (for more on this year’s
amazing Veteran’s Day celebration, see TFA
Moments in this issue). e students and
Mrs. West tipped their hat to the sewing
wizardry of parents Cheryl Sunberg and
Edna de la Cruz, who pieced all 425 squares
and did the hand quilting, respectively.
Yet another example of TFA coming together to make wonderful things happen!
TALENTED ARTISTS AWARDED
As this issue goes to press, Mrs. West
reports that many of
the dynamic Lower
School artists have
nearly completed their
latest work, projects in
clay. “e kids love clay
and have had a great
time,” she said. “Some
of the pieces this year are just outstanding
for elementary students. We are blessed
with some very talented young artists! In
fact, Brady Parham, one of our third
grade artists, recently won an award for
C O N T I N U E D
the Orlando Sentinel’s Holiday Art
Contest. Only 42 students were selected
to receive an award out of the 2400
Central Florida participants. Also, Brady
had a piece chosen for the Orlando
Museum of Art’s Children’s Gallery.”
LOWER SCHOOL ROYAL CHOIR
Over fiy energetic third and fourth grade
students participate in the Royal Choir,
directed by Melissa Adams. e choir is
divided into two groups, the Blue and the
Gold. e students and Mrs. Adams meet
weekly during lunch time, and are tapped
to perform collectively at several events
throughout the year.
e students performed two patriotic
selections at the Veteran’s Day breakfast
for hundreds of honored guests. ey also
entertained an audience of hundreds
with two selections at the All-School
Christmas program, and have performed
at several Lower School chapels.
Mosaic Art Applauded by Florida Teachers
The Extra Curricular (ECC) Mosaics’ Class
from last year (current fifth and sixth graders)
38
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
MS Ceramics Class
Draws Attention
had work selected to be shown at the Florida
Art Educator’s Association (FAEA) Conference this year. According to Mrs. West,
a display of their work was very well
received by a discriminating viewing
audience: art teachers from across
the state of Florida.
In addition, Mrs. West was honored
by being asked to teach a three-hour
workshop on Mosaics at the FAEA
Conference. “It was fun,” said West.
“The Florida art teachers had a great
time. I extend my thanks to the excellent work of the extra curricular
students last year!”
Amy Cline, Madie Sunberg, Rachel Neely and Faith
Grosshans work on their name plaques.
“Ceramics is the most sought-after Visual
Art course in Middle and Upper
School, and the most popular in Lower
School. The Bible uses ‘potter and clay’
analogies to show the importance of
being centered in the will of God to
obtain His purpose, and what happens
when we struggle against God. Just
like the clay on the potter’s wheel, if we
do not stay centered in His will, we
become unbalanced and unstable,”
explains Middle School art teacher
Cynthia Collins.
Currently, the Middle School ceramics class is working on a Name Plaque.
Students are researching the origin of
their names and learning to write them
in Hebrew. “They are learning that a
name is a label that sets one person
apart from another,” said Mrs. Collins.
“In the Bible, personal names (and even
place names) were more than identifiers.
The people of the Bible were very conscious of the meaning of names, seeing
a vital connection between a name and
the person or place it identified. The
name Isaac alludes to the laughter of his
mother at his birth, and Moses received
his name because he was drawn out of
the water. God changed the names of
some of His people when their nature or
purpose was changed: Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, Saul/Paul, and so
on. He even announced the name of
His Son Jesus to Mary through the
angel Gabriel, depicting His purpose!”
Scenes from A Celebration of Christmas,
The First Academy’s 2007 All-School
Christmas Program.
Christmas Program Streams LIVE Around the Globe
We don’t often share other
people’s mail, but this one was
special, and we received permission. The following is a transcript of some of the emails
received by Dana Meeks, the
Studio Specialist (among other
things, he monitors the live webcasts) at First Baptist Church of
Orlando. Dana sent these
messages to the Advancement
Office and others who were
responsible for the production of
this year’s All-School Christmas
Program on December 5, 2007.
Good Afternoon All,
In my never-ending busy life of trying to keep up with the technical
demands of such a great church,
I sometimes lose sight of what it is
my department really does.
I just wanted to share some
encouraging words that family
members from all over the world
have written to our online viewing
site during the Christmas Special
that you streamed live. All of
these emails came on December
5, 2007, during the program.
I can’t think of a better
Christmas card than to share
with you the following comments
from people that couldn’t make
it to the program. —Dana
• Have just watched the Christmas program and would like
you to know it was fantastic!
—Earl & Linda *, Dothan AL
• To * *—I am so glad that I was
able to see your part in this
wonderful program. You were
just great. The entire program
was great and a wonderful
blessing. Tell Mom and Dad
thanks for letting me know how
to watch. Love you all, Aunt Brenda
• Hi! We are watching in
Huntsville, AL. Love and kisses!
• Thank you for providing this
grandma an awesome opportunity
to see her granddaughters. I live
in Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. God bless you this
holiday season as we celebrate
the birth of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
• We a r e w a t c h i n g f r o m
Crestwood, KY
—Aunt Joyce & Uncle Tom
• My daughter is in kindergarten
and I am in Mexico enjoying
the presentation.
• I’m watching, and I’m so excited
to feel such a part of my grandson’s Christmas program. Thank
you for making this available to
a grandma that lives in Virginia
and can’t be there in person.
Bless you all!
• Watching my daughter from
Portugal. God Bless!
• Our granddaughter is in the
show. We live in Connecticut and
are grateful for this opportunity.
God Bless, from Nana & Papa
(Editor’s note: last names and other specific identifying text has been replaced with an * for privacy.)
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
39
SIGHTINGS
ALUMNI
It’s a Brother Thing
THE CROFOOTS
ere are a few family names that live in
TFA lore, and one of those is Crofoot. e
First Academy and Royals athletics would
not have been the same without them.
ree have graduated and are making a
name for themselves outside of our campus,
while two remain to carry on the legacy:
John is a member of the Class of 2009, and
Kyle is a freshman this year.
Chas (Class of 2001) has returned to
Orlando, and is pursuing a career with Johnson
& Johnson in the surgical sales division,
working with vascular and cardiology
equipment used in surgical procedures.
Ike graduated from TFA in 2003. He
recently completed his degree at the University of South Carolina, and is looking over
the job market here in Central Florida. In the
meantime, Ike is working for Palm Casual
Patio Furniture alongside his dad, Kroy.
Clayton (Class of 2005) is at Auburn
University continuing his studies. Aer
completing a rigorous flight training program, he recently obtained his pilot’s license
and has joined the Auburn football team.
Word from the family is that Clayton has
Ross, Ryan, and Rick
circa 1998
really enjoyed pursuing these new interests.
e Crofoot clan took a special family
trip last summer: all five boys, dad, and
mom, Kelley, traveled to the Dominican
Republic along with the TFA basketball
team. e group worked to help Dominicans
in need, and had what Kelley called “an
absolutely fantastic trip.”
“All of the boys were able to go,” said
Kelley, “along with great family time, it was
time well-spent feeding villages, visiting
children in orphanages, and most importantly, spreading the message of Jesus Christ.
Our plan is to go back this summer and visit
the same area, taking along other families
that have shown interest in missions.”
THE PRICES
Rob Price (Class of 1996) was TFA’s first
National Merit Scholar finalist. He graduated in 1996 and moved on to Mississippi
College, where he met his wife, Christy.
e couple were married on New Years Day
2000, and have two sons, Neil, four years
old, and Evan, 16 months.
Rob completed medical school at the
University of South Florida Medical School
Three of the five Crofoot boys, with a new
friend met while on the family’s mission trip
to the Dominican Republic last summer.
42
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
WINTER 2008
Christy, Rob, Evan, and Neil
Ryan & Jennifer
in Tampa. e family moved to Charlotte,
North Carolina, where he served his residency at the Carolinas Medical Center.
Today, they live near Athens, Georgia,
where Rob is an Emergency Physician at
Athens Regional Medical Center.
Rick graduated from TFA in 1999,
and from the University of Florida’s
M.E. Rinker, Sr. College of Building
Construction in 2004. He began working
for Centex Homes aer graduation as a
Project Manager in Port St. Lucie.
In August of 2007, he moved to the
commercial side, accepting a position with
Orlando-based J. Raymond Construction,
specializing in commercial projects
throughout Florida. Rick met his wife,
Brandy, while attending UF. ey married
in 2003, and have a daughter, Bella Mae,
who will be two in July. Rick and Brandy
make their home in Ft. Lauderdale.
The brothers Lumpkins—
one in Clemson orange
(Jay, on the right), the
other in Gator orange
(Stephen)
RyanandJennifer(Wilson)Price(Class
of 2002) had been in the same class at TFA
since fourth grade, but love didn’t begin
to bloom until they were on a college tour
during minimester of their sophomore year.
e couple graduated from Mississippi
College in May 2006. Ryan earned a
Bachelors of Science degree in Biology,
and Jennifer graduated with BA in Education. ey were married in Henry Chapel
in May 2006, and moved to Dallas, Texas.
Jennifer is currently teaching first grade
while Ryan is a student at Parker College
of Chiropractics.
e youngest of the Price family,
Ross, is currently a freshman in e First
Academy Upper School.
THE LUMPKINS
Jay Lumpkins (Class of 2004) is a senior
at Clemson University, majoring in nutrition. He will graduate in December 2008
and plans to obtain his license as a registered
dietitian. Jay also plans to attend graduate
school in exercise physiology, and will
pursue a career as a rehabilitation specialist
or in research, exploring the relationship
of food on athletic performance.
Jay has been a member of the crosscountry, track, and marathon teams at
Mamma
Mia! TFA
Has Got
A Star
Clemson, and received letters in each.
He has been concentrating on marathon
running, and participated in the Disney
Marathon where his finish qualified him
for the Boston Marathon. Jay’s goal is to
qualify for the 2012 Olympic team.
Stephen “Stevo” Lumpkins,
Class of 2005, is a Gator at the
University of Florida. He is active
on campus, currently serving on
UF’s Cabinet for Family Affairs,
and is a Morale Captain for Dance
Marathon, which raises money for
the Children’s Miracle Network.
Stephen was an Assistant Director
for the Gator Growl, which is the
largest student-run Pep Rally in
the Southeast, and was recently
elected Vice President as well as
co-Social Chair for his fraternity,
Kappa Sigma. He plays on several
fraternity intramural teams (Flag
Football, Basketball, Soccer, and
Ultimate Frisbee), and coaches
the Alpha Delta Pi sorority soccer
team along with other fraternity
brothers.
Stephen aspires to attend Law
School, where he would like to
specialize in Real Estate law.
Lisa Morabito was president of the Class
of 1998 and captain of the cheerleading
squad. Lisa’s real passion, though, was
the stage. During her time on campus,
she was the first student to direct a
one-act for thespian district competition,
and also helped teach a summer musical
theatre workshop at First Orlando. As a
senior, Lisa’s classmates selected her as
Miss TFA, and she was awarded the Arts
& Media Council scholarship.
Lisa graduated from Wright State
University in 2002 with a Bachelors of Fine
Arts in Acting and immediately became
an apprentice at The Barn Theatre in
Augusta, Michigan, and earned her
Actor’s Equity Card. Some
of Lisa’s other credits
include The Producers
(Ulla), Barn Theatre;
Copacabana (Conchita),
National Tour; Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn (Theatreworks National Tour),
and Shinbone Alley
(Musicals Tonight!). She
is currently performing in
the musical, Mamma
Mia! in Las Vegas.
She was married in
October 2007 to Eric
Petersen (whom she met
at The Barn Theatre) and
was thrilled to have her
best friends and fellow
TFA Class of 1998
alumni, Ansley (Fletcher)
Schrimsher, and Joy (Lail)
Schuck, as two of her
bridesmaids. Lisa and
Eric live in Manhattan.
WINTER 2008
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
43
SHOTS
PA R T I N G
Don’t miss SummerQuest, TFA’s exciting summer
program, with even more fun and enriching camps
and courses! For information, please contact Camp
Director Michele Moreman at 407.206.8731 or
michelemoreman@thefirstacademy.org
SCENES FROM HOMECOMING
Dawn Evans (US/Tech Dept.),
Dr. Luci Higgins (Dir. of Curriculum
& Instruction), and driver, Janie
Weber (Admissions), really got the
crowd going with major school
spirit as fans began to gather
along the parade route.
The Marching Band got everyone on
their feet and cheering for the parade,
and were an terrific addition to
home football games all season.
THE FIRST ACADEMY VISION STATEMENT
The First Academy
A Christ-Centered College Preparatory School
OFFICE OF
INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
2667 Bruton Boulevard
Orlando, Florida 32805
407-206-8603
ADMIT “For all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23)
PRAY: Lord, I admit that I am a
sinner in need of a Savior.
BELIEVE “For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only Son,
that whosoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have everlasting
life” (John 3:16)
PRAY: Lord, I believe that Jesus
died and shed His blood for my
sins. I believe this in my heart and
not just my head.
Cheering on the home team is hard
work, and an occasional run to
the concession stand for water
is just the answer.
The vision of the First Academy is to be the first choice for
Christian families in Orlando who are seeking a Christcentered college preparatory education. Specifically,
our vision is:
To forge an enduring partnership between church,
home, and school that will produce powerful and effective
student leaders who will impact their world for Jesus
Christ through Biblical thought and action in obedience
to the Great Commandment (Mk. 12:30-31) and the
Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20).
To attract and retain Living Curriculum faculty/staff
members who understand that rigor, relevance and
relationships in the learning process produces outstanding
scholars who will be admitted to the college/ university
GOD’S PLAN FOR
SALVATION
of their choosing based on a well-rounded record of
scholastic accomplishment.
To develop a dynamic relationship with First Baptist
Church/Orlando so that we might serve Southern Baptist churches/schools across the nation as a model for
building and sustaining excellence (finances, facilities,
policies and programs) in their church/school ministry.
To construct additional state-of-the-art school facilities
so that all K-12 students will be able to attend classes on
the north side of the FBCO/TFA campus.
The Bible says that where there is no vision the
people perish (Proverbs29:18). The First Academy will
prayerfully pursue the above vision with a faith that is
firm and a hope that endures.
CALL “For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved” (Romans 10:13)
PRAY: Lord, I call upon You to
save me from my sins. I confess and
repent of my sins. I know that your
Son Jesus paid my debt on the
cross—a debt I could never pay
despite all my good works—and I
thankfully accept your gift of eternal
life in Heaven that His death makes
possible.
If you have any questions about
God’s plan of salvation, please call
us at 407-206-8601.
Non-Profit
Organization
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PA I D
Orlando, FL
Permit 1944